The company announced this week that it would apply for a series of environmental permits and was also looking at the possibility of consolidating its tar distillation businesses across North America. If all goes well, the company expects the facility to be in operation in early 2016.

A large number of chemicals and food additives that are legal in the United States are banned for use in food and beverage manufacturing in some parts of the European Union. But does this mean that U.S. products put consumers at risk?